Mark Pan December 6 th, 2010 Thesis Presentation The Illusion of Safety: Background Checks for...

Mark PanDecember 6th, 2010

Thesis PresentationThe Illusion of Safety:

Background Checks for Philadelphia Public School Volunteers

AGENDAPREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

COST SAFETY VOLUNTEERISM EFFICIENCY EFFICACY

PREFACE

INTRODUCTIONproblemquestion

claims

LITERATUREhistory

currentlyuniversitiesgovernmentpub schoolsvolunteers

parents

METHODS

DATAchac surveyinterviews

RECOMMENDATIONScost

centralizingreform

PracticalityPREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

Lack of research

PracticalityPREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

Doable

Lack of research

PracticalityPREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

Frustration

Lack of research

Practicality

Doable

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

Safety

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Volunteerism

Safety

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cost

Safety

VolunteerismPREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Efficiency

Safety

Cost

VolunteerismPREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Efficiency

Safety

Cost

VolunteerismPREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

EFFECTIVENESS ?

Efficiency

Safety

Cost

VolunteerismPREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

EFFECTIVENESS ?

How can we align background check practices and policies

with practicality and safety?

practicality

safety

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS



Efficacy

Checks’ efficacy are unproven

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS



Efficacy


VolunteerismChecks are a significant hindrance to volunteerism

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS



Efficacy


VolunteerismChecks are a significant hindrance to volunteerism

ExcessMany unnecessary checks are being conducted

PREFACE


claims

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS



Efficacy


VolunteerismChecks are a significant hindrance

to volunteerism

ExcessMany unnecessary checks are being

conducted

MisguidanceFears unrelated to volunteers

penalizing volunteers

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONSUnfounded fear

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

2003: Massachusetts begins requirements as Boston is seen as center for Church sexual abuse scandals

April 2007: PA requires all public school employees and student teachers to get checks

child molestation fears and concerns about liability on the part of schools

Unfounded fear

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

2003: Massachusetts begins requirements as Boston is seen as center for Church sexual abuse

scandals

April 2007: PA requires all public school

employees and student teachers to get checks

child molestation fears and concerns about liability on the part of schools

Unfounded fear

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Federal Criminal History

($35.50)

PA State Criminal

Record ($10)

Child Abuse ($10)

“about half of the nation's 15,500 public-school districts have background checks for volunteers”

- Ronald StephensExecutive Director, National School Safety Center

Centralization

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Centralization

Cost

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Liability

Centralization

Cost

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Liability

Centralization

Cost

Volunteer Quality/Quantity

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Volunteer Quality/Quantity

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

“Once we start down the path of morally judging who can and cannot go into their child's classroom, we are treading on dangerous ground."

Barbara ClarkPresident of Nevada's Parent Teacher Association

…might tend to discourage persons with questionable backgrounds from even applying for positions within the

organization.

Eliminates undocumented workers’ ability to volunteer, since

one needs a Social Security Number to undergo checks.

28 per cent of those who responded to an online survey said they knew someone who had been put off volunteering

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

You must act to over-prevent -- even at the cost of the relationship between parents and the school district.

…send an immediate notice to would-be volunteers with a background of misconduct that they are not wanted.

does not provide a guarantee that children will be safe with a particular adult. It merely

identifies that the person has not been convicted of an offence in the past. What

happens after the vetting procedure is unpredictable.

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

You must act to over-prevent -- even at the cost of the relationship between parents and the school district.

…send an immediate notice to would-be volunteers with a background of misconduct that they are not wanted.

does not provide a guarantee that children will be safe with a particular adult. It merely

identifies that the person has not been convicted of an offence in the past. What

happens after the vetting procedure is unpredictable.

liability

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATUREhistory


parents

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

…history?

The Catholic priest-molestation scandal and a series of lurid child kidnappings are combining to

stoke parents' anxiety as the new school year gears up. And that's prompting more and more districts to require parents to undergo criminal-

background checks.

SAFETY

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

Student Group Survey

UA Discussion

Paper

Data/Factual Research Interviews Meetings


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

Approximately 2,462 Penn volunteers require background checks

Of these, an estimated 363 have duplicate checks

~$162,624 should be spent by organizations and individuals each year

No consistency for follow-up and storage

Time consuming

Volunteer deterring


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

How high of a priority is this issue to you and the rest of Penn?

What would an ideal infrastructure to support the process look like?

Can other models better inform the development of this infrastructure?

How can the UA encourage the university to support this infrastructure?


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

Mostly incomparable


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

Mostly incomparable

Centers process checks


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

Mostly incomparable


Often overlooked

"I am new here and not sure yet of howthe issue is handled throughout the University"

Irene KingVillanova University – Campus Ministry Director


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

Mostly incomparable


Often overlooked

High varyiance


UA Discussion

Paper


PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATAsurvey

discussionresearch

interviewsmeetings

RECOMMENDATIONS

SubsidizationPREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONScost

centralizingreform

Centralization

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONScost

centralizingreform

Subsidization

Centralization

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONScost

centralizingreform

DISCUSSION

Subsidization

Longer-Term Policy Recommendations

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONScost

centralizingreform

DISCUSSIONLonger-Term Policy Recommendations

• Align fears with policy

• Inform K-12 students

• Educate school districts

• Volunteer agencies centralize checks

• Differentiation

discussion

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

LITERATURE

METHODS

DATA

RECOMMENDATIONS

DISCUSSION

Mark Pan December 6 th, 2010 Thesis Presentation The Illusion of Safety: Background Checks for...

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